Pull Me Close
by Shikuro-kun
Summary: It's finally time for college and HTT's girls don't know what to expect. Memories are made, secrets are spilled, and budding romances bloom. Ritsu x Mugi Humor/Romance/Harem
1. Chapter 1

With Classic completely finished, I'm ready to start a new story. Having only a few days to complete a small concept this was all I could manage. I still don't know where this is going to go, but I hope it'll be just as good!

- Disclaimer: K ON characters do not belong to me.

- Notice: Original characters may be added for suspense, a catalyst, etc. Lifestyles and settings may deviate from the original manga/anime.

- Warning: May contain suggested themes.

* * *

'Fast. Faster. Oh, c'mon. I know you can go faster than this.'

Ritsu leaned over, pressing her slender frame against the machine's motor. Was this the fastest it could go? It felt like nothing to her, having grown accustomed to the blinding speed as she weaved through the winding road.

She felt the wind rushing through her jacket as she released the throttle and shifted to brake. Nearly missing the turn and falling off her bike, she looked back realizing that she could've died. "Heh," Ritsu's widened eyes narrowed as she looked forward, "that was close." A grin formed along her lips before the motorcycle revved up speeding down its course.

* * *

"That Ritsu, what is she doing?" Mio crossed her arms, they were going to be late for the first day of school. What would her college professors think of that as her first impression? Convinced that her best friend would show up later, she willed herself to start walking.

The sound of a roar echoed along the street, wheels turned to catch the turn in time. Mio stopped as the cycle rushed past her shrieking to a halt as tracks marked the cemented ground. "Hey," The rider released her helmet, shaking the brown hair that flowed freely to her forehead and sides.

With a cold, icy stare, Mio did her best to walk past Ritsu. She kept her mouth shut, ignoring the girl's words as she continued walking.

"Hey! Aw, Mio!" Ritsu looked back, her eyes eager for the attention. "Don't be that way Mio..." She turned the bike, cruising close to the raven haired girl. "Are you mad at me?"

"..." She could be such a complete idiot at times, but of all the days why did it have to be today? Mio began walking faster, frustrated by Ritsu's arrogance.

"Neh, Mio..." Ritsu leaned forward, her voice pleading for forgiveness. "Please don't be mad..."

Mio gave a defeated sigh. "Seriously, Ritsu!" Her voice boomed, disturbing the tranquil silence in the quiet neighborhood. "Of all the days to be late, why did it have to be today?" Her grey, stormy eyes shot a Ritsu.

"Look, I'm sorry." She sat upright as Mio stopped walking. "You know how I am." A nervous grin was all she could manage before the dangerous queen.

"All I asked for was a ride, if I had known you were going to be late, I wouldn't have bothered calling you."

Ritsu scratched the top of her head. "So..." She watched the birds perched on a tree. "Are you coming or what?" Her eyes drifted to Mio who was wearing a white collared shirt under a grey v-neck pullover with jeans. She missed seeing the high school uniform they all wore, those were the days. Now they could wear whatever they wanted.

She took the spare helmet from the back, why did it have to be pink? It was such an outlandish color - sure to attract unwanted stares for the duration of the ride. Why couldn't it be a neutral color like Ritsu's helmet, black? She clipped the buckle, adjusting it to a comfortable size. Sitting at the back and setting her hands around Ritsu's waist, she leaned close to the brunette's ear. "Look, no detours alright?"

A grin was all she could manage before slipping into her helmet. "Right." The motor revved violently before zooming past with nothing but the skid marks from its tracks.

* * *

"Today's the day!" Mugi clapped her hands together as she sat in her black car. Looking out of the window she could see a clear view of her new school. College was sure to be another enjoyable chapter in her life. She could only imagine what adventures and events would transpire within the first year.

The vehicle slowed down to park by the curb, where several students said goodbye to their drivers and family members. "Ojou-sama, we have arrived." Her chauffeur spoke as he rolled down the window.

"Thank you." She collected her bag beside her and opened the door. First impressions were everything, so she decided to dress up for the occasion. She wore a simple white dress, which brought out her blonde, wavy hair and sapphire blue eyes. Upon exiting the vehicle, she earned several stares from the girls. The driver rolled down the window.

"Will you require a ride back home?"

"Hmm..." Mugi pressed a finger to her lips. "I'm not quite sure. I'll call you if I do." She formed a cheery smile as the driver nodded and pulled away from the curb.

"So this is where it begins..." She said to herself quietly before marching up the stairs.

* * *

"I don't even know where the bulletin board is..." Yui looked around frantically, her bag slung to her side along with a long, black case to protect her guitar. "Maybe I should ask someone..." She ran to the nearest approachable girl.

"Umm, excuse me do you know where the bulletin board is?" She tapped the girl lightly on her shoulder.

"Hm?" Mugi turned around to find her friend Yui with a lost look.

They blinked at each other before their eyes widened in surprise.

"Mugi-chan!"

"Yui-chan!"

The two girls shared a hearty embrace.

"It's been a while, huh?" Yui started out.

"Oh, yes. A week to be exact." Mugi smiled brightly.

"How was your family vacation in Europe?"

"Oh, it was good." She tilted her head to notice Yui's guitar slung onto her shoulder. "But I really hoped you and the others would've joined me as well."

"Yeah," Yui laughed lightly. "But I couldn't since we already took the trip with Azusa to London." She smiled recalling her little kouhai, the guitarist wondered how she was doing back at Sakuragaoka high.

"There's always a next time." Mugi rested her hand on Yui's shoulder, snapping her out of deep thought.

"Yeah!" Her voiced boomed happily.

Just then a loud noise echoed at the school's entrance. The two girls were standing relatively close, so they immediately rushed to watch who or what was causing it.

A cherry red Kawasaki motorcycle was parked along the school's grounds. Its rider revved the engine once more before turning it off. There was one passenger at the back wearing a bright pink helmet.

Several girls stopped to watch the scene. It was obvious that they were all very eager to find out who it belonged to.

Yui took Mugi's hand and ran closer. They watched a raven haired girl remove the helmet, releasing her dark colored locks to freshen up. She set the helmet down, her eyes looking mildly dangerous. "You were going too fast!" She yelled out at the rider. "I swear, next time you're going to get us killed!" She took a deep breath. "You even ran that red stop light, do you realize how dangerous that is?!"

The rider released the grip on the throttle slowly reaching to remove the helmet. Brown, moderately long hair fell to her sides and forehead. She shook her head as the wind whipped around. Her amber eyes glowed brightly as she looked back at her frustrated passenger. "Hey, you said you didn't want to be late."

"Yes, but..." She looked away, Ritsu was right in a way. "You almost got us killed!" Her hand found its way to the girl's head, landing a swift and powerful smack.

"Ahh!" Ritsu winced in pain. "But I got the job done, didn't I?" She really wanted to get the credit she deserved.

"Hmph!" After Ritsu set the brakes, she started marching off.

"No, Mio..." The brunette ran after the girl with her helmet in her hand and bag slung on one shoulder. "Wait!"

Several girls giggled at their interaction then continued on their merry way.

"Neh, Mio..." Ritsu's reached out to the girl's shoulder.

"Ri-chan?" Yui called out from afar. Mugi stood beside her, marveling at Ritsu's new look. She wasn't wearing her usual yellow headband.

Mio and Ritsu looked her way, both of their eyes widening in surprise.

"Wow, Ri-chan." Yui stood across Ritsu. "Since when did you get that?" Her finger was pointed at the motorcycle from a distance.

"Oh, it's a long story." Her hand left Mio's shoulder as she turned to face the two girls.

"And your haircut." Mugi added quickly.

Ritsu blushed and felt her strands of hair covering her forehead. "Oh, umm...thanks I almost forgot." She reached into her bag and produced the accessory that completed her usual attire. Donning the headband, she looked just the way she did in high school. "It bugs me when I'm on my bike." She pointed at the top of her head. "So it's not on when I'm wearing my helmet."

Mugi nodded in agreement. 'I shouldn't have told her that...' She was enjoying the girl's new look.

Mio looked back at Ritsu, she knew she was reckless, but to be that way on the road...it was bound to get her killed or severely injured. She was worried about her safety. "Hey," Ritsu was forced to look her in the eyes when she stepped very close to her. Their faces were centimeters away from each other. "Don't do that again." She blushed lightly. "I'm...I'm worried about you and I don't want you to...to..." Mio couldn't finish her sentence.

Ritsu was blushing too. She didn't recall ever being so close to Mio before. "Uh..." What an unintelligible response.

Mugi blushed as well, she always loved witnessing the fun and painful interactions between the two. Especially when they were worried about each other.

"Look, I'll be fine." She leaned back with a thumbs up directed to Mio's face. "You don't have to worry about anything."

Yui smiled at the two. Mugi took the opportunity to look around. Soon, they were the only ones standing in the school grounds. She looked at her phone from her bag. "Oh no,"

"What?" Ritsu peered from behind.

"We're all going to be late." She announced to the group.

* * *

Footsteps echoed in the hallway as the girls reached the first class. Luckily, they were all headed in the same direction. Ritsu opened the door only to find a teacher standing in front of a chalk board with an empty class.

"Uh..." Confusion settled in as the three girls peered from behind.

"I'm sorry, did you need something?" The teacher approached the girls while slowly dusting off her hands.

"A-Are we late?" Ritsu took a step forward before the middle-aged woman. She looked strikingly familiar to that of their previous homeroom teacher, Ms. Yamanaka.

"Oh, you must be the freshmen." She smiled knowingly.

Mio, Mugi, and Yui pushed past the brunette to observe the lady before them.

"It looks like you four are lost, if you're a freshman you're supposed to be at the auditorium for the welcoming ceremony."

"Oh...r-really?" Ritsu's voice trailed off.

Mio could feel her face growing hot by the second. How could she have possibly forgotten that?

"You can still make it in time." It was only five minutes in and she knew the girls looked embarrassed.

"Yeah, we can make it!" Yui said happily.

The four girls looked at each other. They were fortunate that they weren't alone in this.

* * *

Lunch arrived quickly as the four girls gathered around the quad. They could all agree that the events earlier weren't the best, but it was certainly going to be a day to remember.

Mio walked beside Yui who had noticed her carrying her guitar. "Yui, why did you bring that?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, this?" Her body shifted to swing the guitar's case on her back. "I don't know...I just felt like bringing it." She smiled happily.

"Hmm..." Ritsu walked in front of the group in deep thought. "That actually doesn't sound bad."

"What doesn't sound bad?" Mio asked from behind. It was clear that Ritsu was thinking to herself aloud.

"We'll bring the light music club to college." She turned around quickly landing with her arms crossed on her chest.

"What are you talking about?" Mio liked the idea, it would be great for them continue playing together.

"I'm saying we'll make ourselves well known here too." She approached Mugi and the three girls. "We're supposed participate in a club anyways so we'll just set one up, just like before." She slung her bag on her back. "Besides we've already got four members." Ritsu finished proudly with a grin.

"Count me in!" Mugi clapped her hands together.

"Oh, me too!" Yui exclaimed.

Mio couldn't help but agree. She enjoyed their company and the laughs that they brought with it. "Me too."

"Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" She shouted in excitement.

"Hey, keep it down." Mio pulled Ritsu by the arm. "You're attracting stares again."

Mugi and Yui laughed at each other as they continued walking.

* * *

The day ended pretty quickly as Ritsu and the girls met up at the front of the school. The girls decided to eat at a nearby fast food joint. As usual, Mugi shared her french fries with the others as they conversed about how their first day went.

"Hey guys..." Ritsu started out. "What do you think of living together?"

Mio set down her french fry. She did admit that it had crossed her mind before. "What do you mean?" The bassist asked to clarify her question.

"You know, like rent an apartment or something. Be independent."

"You mean with each other?" Yui finished chewing the food in her mouth.

"I think that sounds great." Mugi replied with a gentle smile. She was already trying to be independent, but her parents were always a bit overly protective over her. Doing so would reassure them that she would be fine on her own.

"But you need a job." Mio pointed out wisely.

"I have a job." Ritsu confirmed examining Mio's reaction as she stopped munching her food.

'What?' She coughed to the side in surprise. "You're joking, right?" Mio asked.

"No, I'm not." The brunette looked serious as she set her french fry down.

"As what? Where do you work?" Yui asked.

"It's..." Her cheeks turned red instantly. "It's a secret." She looked away.

Mugi was starting to grow intrigued. What was with all this secrecy? Why was Ritsu hiding it from them?

Mio recollected herself and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "If you can't tell us, then you're probably lying."

"..." Ritsu looked away. "Believe whatever you want."

The tension escalated quickly, so Yui decided to step in. "That means I'll have to get a job too."

It was enough to capture everyone's attention. They all looked at each other in amusement. It seemed like everyone was going to need one.

* * *

Yui, Mio and Ritsu had been staying at their relative's homes who lived around the area. Mugi's parents conveniently had a house nearby as well.

After dropping off Mio, Ritsu made her way back to her own. As expected, her aunt and uncle weren't there. She marched up to her room, dropping her bag on the floor. Exhausted from school, she knew deep in her mind that the day wasn't over yet. She took several clothes from her closet and stuffed them into a backpack. Her hands fumbled with the phone checking the time, it was nearly 6 o' clock. "Perfect." She took her keys and ran out of the house.

With one loud roar, her motorcycle zoomed past the eerily quiet neighborhood in a red blur.

* * *

Mugi sat in her room thinking about what Ritsu could possibly be working as. She never thought of the brunette as someone who had skeletons in the closet. "But why?" She spoke aloud.

Their fearless leader was someone who always put herself out there. It was unlike Ritsu to be so...aloof.

She laid back on the soft mattress as thoughts swirled in her mind. "I'll ask her again tomorrow." Mugi told herself before turning to her side.

* * *

Ritsu parked her bike by a dimly lit alleyway in the city. She unlocked a back door and entered a dark hall. As she reached the end of the narrow path a single silhouette called out from afar once she was in view.

"I've been expecting you."

* * *

... To be continued

A/N: From the looks of things it sounds like this might actually have a dark twist to it. I never really know how this might turn out, since the last part was made up on the spot. Hope it's enough to get you guys thinking again, haha.

So if you enjoyed this chapter, remember to fave, follow and/or review.

Thanks for reading


	2. Chapter 2

- Disclaimer: K ON characters do not belong to me.

- Notice: Original characters may be added for suspense, a catalyst, etc. Lifestyles and settings may deviate from the original manga/anime.

- Warning: May contain suggested themes.

* * *

Ritsu slumped in her seat, struggling to stay awake as the teacher droned on about who knows what. She was tired, exhausted for working last night. It was a challenge to keep her eyes open in the middle of the day. The only thing keeping her up were Mugi's light taps when the teacher turned around to face the board.

"Ri-chan, are you okay?" She leaned to her right to whisper into her ear.

"Hm?" She replied groggily.

"Are you okay?"

"Nn..." Her head fell against the desk, her energy drained by here mere response.

Mugi returned her attention to the teacher who was starting to walk along the aisles. She formed a small grin when she pushed Ritsu in her seat quickly.

"Whoa!" She felt like the force was enough to push her off her seat, her hands moved to her sides for balance.

Several students smirked and giggled at Ritsu's response. Enough of them laughed to grasp the teacher's undivided attention. He easily weeded out the culprit behind the scene.

"Ms. Tainaka..." He spoke to the newly revitalized brunette. "Would you mind telling me what you are doing?" An unamused expression was plastered on his face.

"Oh, umm." She herself didn't know what was going on.

He sighed when she couldn't manage a decent response. "Next time I advise you strongly NOT to sleep in my class." The laughter had already does down by the time he continued walking back to the board.

'Crap.' Ritsu leaned on an elbow in he desk as she contemplated on he actions.

* * *

"What was this I heard about, you were sleeping in class again?" Mio asked flatly as the girls sat by a bench.

"Oh, I- wait. How'd you hear about that?" She looked curiously at the raven haired girl beside her.

"Some girls in my other class were talking about it. I only assumed it was you."

"Huh..." Was she that popular already?

"Yes, she was sleeping in class." Mugi confirmed boldly.

"I knew it!" Mio dropped her utensil and glared at Ritsu. "How many times have I told you not to do that?" She took a deep breath. "Ritsu, this isn't high school anymore. It's college, you need to be serious about this."

Yui was concentrating on the cake on her lap. She heard the girls bickering beside her, but decided to ignore them. A strawberry was neatly placed at the top as she licked her lips to fork it.

"I AM serious. I was just tired that's all." Ritsu looked away.

"Tired from what?" Mio didn't know what could possibly tire the girl. It was only the second day of school. "Don' tell me you've been riding your bike in the middle of the night." She started to look deeply concerned.

"No...it's not that."

Just when Yui was about to scarf down the strawberry, she stopped to read the mood in their conversation.

Even Mugi paused to listen attentively. She can only imagine what question would pop up next.

"Then what were you doing? It can't be homework, could it?"

"No..." Ritsu couldn't bring herself to say that it was work. They would only question her more if she did. "Look, it's nothing."

"It can't be nothing." Mio was starting to lose her patience. It was obvious that Ritsu was hiding something, but what?

"Can you just drop it?" Her eyes looked solemn, almost sad. "Please."

Mio gave her one final look. "Fine."

Yui set the fork in her hand and gently nudged Mio. "Say ahh" she spoke with a smile.

Mugi and Ritsu turned to watch Yui offering the strawberry to Mio. The couldn't help but smile as well.

With a light blush on her cheeks, Mio looked Yui in the eye. She simply couldn't resist. Strawberries were her favorite.

* * *

After school, Mio left on her own to run some errands for her aunt and uncle. The three girls had offered to come with her, but she politely declined. She needed time to think on her own. Within such a short span, she shouldn't help but feel that something was wrong.

"What are you hiding Ritsu?" She spoke to herself as cars passed down the street. Never before had she felt so left out. They never kept secrets from each other, so why was she doing it now?

She arrived at the market and looked up at the sky. Whatever it was, she hoped it wouldn't ruin their friendship.

* * *

With the three girls back at school, they figured that there wasn't much they could do without Mio.

"I have to go then." Yui waved goodbye as she received an urgent call from her cousin.

"Okay, bye Yui."

"Bye Yui-chan." Mugi waved as the guitarist quickly disappeared from view.

Ritsu and the blonde heiress were left on the school's steps as students walked along. They stood there in silence before Mugi spoke up.

"About your suggestion the other day..." She reached for her bag, pulling out a bunch of papers in her hands.

Ritsu diverted her attention to the girl and received a handful of papers. "What's this?" She flipped through them curiously.

"They're houses. You said you wanted to live on your own right? I mean, with all of us."

"Oh, right. So..."

"So I did some research and with a little bit of help, I found a few around the area. With reasonable prices of course." Mugi produced a genuine, cheery smile.

"Wow Mugi, that's great!" She grinned happily. To have done this within a short amount of time, it was truly amazing.

Her cheeks turned pink a Ritsu's compliment. "It's nothing, I did have some help..." She admitted shyly.

"But still..." Ritsu knew she could have never done this. "I really appreciate it." She lowered the papers and examined her sapphire blue eyes. "So, since we don't have homework today...do you want to got through some of them with me?"

"Of course!" She replied almost immediately. Mugi was completely excited, eager to go through the options with the brunette.

"Then c'mon!" Ritsu quickly took her hand and led her to her motorcycle.

* * *

"What's the problem?" Yui asked as she opened the door.

"Oh, you're home." Her cousin stood by the living room slightly surprised. "That was fast."

"You said it was an emergency!" Yui took off her shoes and bolted for the older girl who was in her early twenties.

"Yeah, about that..." She looked away. "I lied." Her tongue darted out playfully.

"Whaat?" Her shoulders slumped at her cousin's remark.

"But it is important." She gestured to the couch behind her.

Sitting quietly in their seats were Azusa, Ui and Jun.

Yui's face lit up with joy. She was so happy to see the three girls.

* * *

"First time riding one?" Ritsu asked as she seated herself on the bike.

"Yes" Mugi confirmed.

"Well, I don't really know what to tell you...besides hold on tight." She scratched the back of her head before removing the yellow headband.

Mugi adjusted the helmet on her head, which was Ritsu's. She didn't have a spare for the girl so the brunette gave her own. Talk about safety. "Are you sure this is okay?" She leaned closer to Ritsu's back.

"It's fine." She reassured the girl behind her.

"But what if-" Mugi was cut off by the roar of the engine.

"Relax, it's going to be alright." Ritsu replied with a confident tone. She had done this multiple times, riding without a helmet. There was no doubt it was completely dangerous, but that's what she loved - living life on the edge.

Mugi nodded as Ritsu released her feet off the ground. "Ready?" She looked back at Mugi.

There was nothing the blonde heiress could do but tighten her grip around her waist.

"Then Let's go" She said with excitement as the cycle accelerated forward at full speed.

* * *

"So how's college?" Jun asked as she sat beside Azusa.

"It's great! There are a lot of students and the campus is really big!" Yui spread out her hands as if to characterized the length of the school.

"It sounds like you're having fun." Ui said happily.

"Yeah..." Azusa sounded a little hurt. She was disappointed to be separated from the group.

"Aww" Yui jumped on Azusa with a big embrace. The two girls beside her had to move away quickly to avoid her deathly grasp.

"I can't-" as usual, Azusa was struggling to break free from Yui's hold. This was just like the old days.

"Well, aren't you two very sweet." Her cousin leaned on the wall observing their interactions with each other.

Azusa took this opportunity to push Yui off. She steadied her breathing to calm her nerves and recollect herself. "I-It wasn't like that!" She announced quickly, her cheeks stained red from embarrassment.

"Azu-nyan..." Yui stood straight as Jun and Ui leaned forward to smile at each other. It was so entertaining watching the two girls.

"Well anyways, dinner is ready." Her cousin walked back to the kitchen motioning them to take their seats at the table.

"Let's go Azu-nyan!" Yui took he hand without hesitation as the other girls followed.

* * *

Ritsu's shoulder brushed against Mugi's as they flipped through the pages. They spoke often, discussing and debating which options were better. Night came quickly as the two girls spent a lot of time with each other.

Mugi turned to look at Ritsu, the girl wasn't wearing her headband and it was nice to see her this way. She didn't bother to open her mouth and tell the brunette. For once she wanted to savor the sight for herself.

Ritsu crossed her legs adjusting to a more comfortable position. Lately she didn't notice her different hairstyle, it felt natural this way. Perhaps she was shedding her insecurities about her looks. "How about this one?" She pulled out one of the papers setting it between her and Mugi. Ritsu leaned closer, her face inches away from the pianist.

Her shoulders tensed up as she could feel Ritsu's lingering breath. The brunette's hand accidentally touched Mugi's, sending a surge along her soft skin. She jumped away and a small sound of surprise escaped her lips.

"Huh?" Ritsu gave a dumbfounded look as she retracted her hand from the girl. "Mugi, are you okay?"

A bright red shade colored her cheeks. Why was she becoming so flustered? Surely it wasn't because of Ritsu. She had been close to the girl for quite a while, but never before did she react this way. "I-I'm okay." She said sheepishly.

Ritsu wasn't buying her response so she moved closer examining her closely. She noticed the red stain on her cheeks and placed her hand on the girl's neck, then forehead. Her body was burning up.

"I said I'm fine, Ritsu." She addressed the girl normally and looked away. 'Why do I feel so hot?' Mugi was sure she wasn't sick.

"Are you sick?" Ritsu assumed immediately.

"N-No, I'm not." She tried to calm her heart, which begged to differ. "Stop it!" Mugi accidentally spoke aloud. She covered her mouth quickly, embarrassed for raising her voice.

"Stop what?" Now Ritsu was completely confused.

"Nothing." She clenched her skirt, ruffling the fabric as she sat in her seat. "I-I'm sorry." Mugi started to get up and walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Ritsu rushed to step in front of the door, blocking the only exit. "Look, if you're sick I'll drop you off at your place."

"I-I'm fine Ritsu I just need some air." She tried to push past the smaller girl, who had grown a bit since starting college.

"Are you sure?" Ritsu asked again.

"Yes." She managed to regain her composure quickly. "I'm fine Ritsu." She plastered a fake smile and placed her hand onto the girl's shoulder.

"..." Reluctantly, Ritsu stepped aside.

Mugi rushed down the steps and leaned against the wall once she was out of sight. 'Calm down.' She closed her eyes and steadied her heartbeat, which by then, complied easily.

Ritsu stood still by the door looking down at the haphazard collection of papers. Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she received a message. Her eyes narrowed as her lips formed a little frown. She looked back at her backpack filled with the clothes from last night. An unfortunate sigh escaped her lips as she walked back collecting the clutter on the floor. "Change of plans."

* * *

Last night.

"I've been expecting you." The voice called out as Ritsu stepped forward to find a tall man standing in front of her.

"Very funny..." She couldn't help but mock the man's serious tone.

"Sorry, I just wanted to try saying that." He laughed back and moved aside.

"So how's everything?" She walked over to a row of lockers and removed the contents in her bag.

The man kept his distance, not bothering to look her way as she changed into her clothes. "Surprisingly, it's not that busy today." He spoke calmly, flicking the lights by the wall on, then off.

She stopped to pull up her pants. "Could you please stop that." Her voice was slightly amused, not quite irritated.

"Yeah, yeah." He turned around and kept the lights on. "As I said, it's not that busy, but someone sent a request for you."

"Oh, really?" She didn't sound surprised as she adjusted her collar.

"Yup. So, see you out there." He waved his hand and walked away.

Ritsu looked at herself in the mirror within the locker. She adjusted her bangs and stuffed the bag inside once she was finished.

* * *

Mio tapped her pen lightly on the desktop, she always did study best at night. Especially when it was calm, quiet, serene.

Her thoughts drifted to Ritsu, who had been acting weird every time she brought up her job. What exactly did she work as? She closed her eyes, thinking back to their break for the summer after graduation. The brunette never lifted a finger to look for work before.

Now that she thought about it, the first day of college was when she even brought it up. What could she possibly be working as? Retail? No. A waiter? No.

Her eyes flew open, she couldn't think of anything for Ritsu to work as.

* * *

Azusa, Ui and Jun decided to sleep over for the night. Yui helped her cousin wash the dishes as the girls were preparing for bed.

"You've got interesting friends." Her cousin, Mei, spoke aloud as she dried the plates.

"Yeah." Yui finished rinsing the last of silverware for the night.

"Especially the twin tailed girl."

"Oh, you mean Azu-nyan?"

"Azu-nyan?" She raised an eyebrow, surprised by the odd nickname.

"Yeah, doesn't she look so cute? Almost like a cat?" Yui purred softly after drying her hands.

Mei stifled a laugh. "Not really, but okay." She turned around to find the little girl they were talking about stading still, her pigtails gone as her long, dark hair flowed freely.

Azusa blushed lightly after hearing their conversation. She didn't really look like a cat, did she?

"Aww, my Azu-nyan!" Yui locked her into a hug, rendering the little girl immovable for the time being.

"Okay kids," Mei ruffled the top of Yui's head. "Time for bed now."

"Kay!" Yui released Azusa as they bid her cousin good night.

"Yui-senpai, why did you have to say that?" She raised her voice after Mei closed her door shut. "You embarrassed me!"

"Aww, Azu-nyan, don't be that way."

"I want you to call me Azusa now, just A-zu-sa." She kept a serious look at her senpai.

"Neh, Azu-" Yui tried to utter the words. "Nyan..."

"A-zu-sa"

"Azu-nyan" Yui clapped happily.

"Azusa!"

The door from above creaked open. "Sleep. Now!" Mei raised her voice from afar.

The two girls retreated to their rooms after apologizing. Dressed in their pajamas, Ui and Jun quickly slipped into the bed as Yui and Azusa entered the room. They tried to stifle their laughs as the girls prepared for sleep.

* * *

Mugi was picked up within 30 minutes as Ritsu walked her to the car. She had made up a white lie that she was feeling tired and promised they would continue discussing the housing another time.

Once the black vehicle was out of view, Ritsu quickly pulled out her phone and answered it.

"Dude, where are you? We're pretty packed tonight."

"Right, I'll be there in a few minutes." She closed the phone and rushed to her bike.

* * *

... To be continued

So if you enjoyed this chapter, remember to fave, follow and/or review.

Thanks for reading


	3. Chapter 3

- Disclaimer: K ON characters do not belong to me.

- Notice: Original characters may be added for suspense, a catalyst, etc. Lifestyles and settings may deviate from the original manga/anime.

- Warning: May contain suggested themes.

* * *

"About time." The man spoke to Ritsu as she entered the door.

"Yeah, sorry. I was a little busy."

"Aren't you always."

"I was with a friend."

"A friend?" He walked beside the shorter girl along the hall.

"Yeah, we had to go through some stuff. You know, housing."

"Sounds boring." He spoke blandly.

"It is."

"You've been getting a lot of call-ins lately."

"Is that a bad thing?" Ritsu looked up at the man.

"No," He formed a smile. "It's a good thing, but you should know you'll be a lot busier now. You seem to be getting quite popular here."

"Popular..." Ritsu slipped her hands into her pockets. She remembered that people had been talking a lot about her at school too.

"But you're nowhere near as popular as me yet." He announced as his hand turned the knob on a door.

* * *

Mugi approached the building as the three girls followed after her. With a bit of nagging and a whole lot of reminding, Ritsu was able to fill out the new club form. It was about time for them to practice in a room.

Once they arrived at their destination, they gave it to a teacher who took it into his hands. "Hmm..."

Ritsu watch his happy expression change quickly. He didn't look like he was going to approve it.

"You four are musicians?" He set the paper aside and conversed with the girls. His tone was serious, but was approachable at the same time.

"Yes, we used to be in a music club back in high school." Yui spoke up for the group.

"Which high school?" He tilted his head to the side, starting to grow intrigued.

"Sakuragaoka." Ritsu replied with a grin.

"Sakuragaoka? Hmm..." He closed his eyes as if trying to recall something important.

Mio and Mugi exchanged glances as he sat still in this position.

"Then you must know Sawako."

Their faces lit up at the sound of their former homeroom teacher's name. "You know Sawako-sensei?" Yui tightened her grip on her guitar's case.

"Oh, I did. I knew she was from a band...what was it called?" He sat quietly, thinking back to older memories.

"Death Devil." Mio replied.

"That's it, Death Devil. They were pretty good. I saw them perform once at an open school festival. They were great." He tapped his index finger onto the sheet of paper. "I guess you can say I was one of their fans from afar."

"Oh..." Mugi examined the paper intently. Was he even going to let them create the club? It had been about a week and forms were due last Friday.

He stopped reminiscing and looked at the girls. It didn't take him long to realize that they were waiting for his verdict. "I'm sorry girls..." He started out.

Ritsu looked away, she couldn't help but feel guilty for procrastinating on the forms. It was her fault.

His eyes focused on every single girl, each of them looked sad and disappointed. He let out a deep sigh before continuing. "Under normal circumstances I can't approve taking this form late, however...I'll make an exception this one time."

Ritsu, Mugi, Mio and Yui broke from their daze and looked up at him, their eyes glistening as he spoke those words. "Thank you!" The shorter brunette bowed her head respectfully as the other girls quickly followed.

"You're welcome." He tilted his head with a smile. "Although I would like to hear your band play sometime for a school event. What's the name of your group anyways?" He leaned forward from his chair expecting an answer.

"We're Ho-Kago Tea Time." Ritsu stated proudly.

* * *

Mio and Mugi sat by a bench as Yui and Ritsu left to get something from the closest vending machine.

They sat in silence during their lunch break, listening to the birds chirping and trees swaying gently. It was peaceful and quiet, a typical school day for the girls as they began eating their lunches.

"..." Mio furrowed her brows before speaking. "Did...Ritsu ever tell you what her job was?"

"Not that I recall..." Mugi set down her utensil and wiped the traces of food from her mouth with a napkin. "Why? Did she tell you?" She never did get chance to question the girl, especially after discussing the housing options.

Mio shook her head. "She didn't."

Just then, the drummer appeared from behind Mio, holding a can in one hand. "Didn't what?"

She couldn't tell how long Ritsu had been behind her, but Mio figured it wasn't for too long. "N-Nothing." She brushed the matter aside and turned away.

"Huh?" Ritsu crept closer to Mio's neck. "Oh c'mon Mio, tell me." She whispered into her ear.

It was enough for Mio to blush. 'Too close Ritsu!'

Mugi turned around to watch their conversation. Her sapphire blue eyes widened slowly at what would come next.

"Mio..." The brunette frowned and placed her cold can along the bassist's neck. "Tell me..."

"Kyaa!" Mio shouted aloud as Ritsu's beverage was as cold as ice. She immediately moved away, unable to handle the can's temperature any longer.

A sinister grin played along Ritsu's grin as she snapped it open. "Serves you right." She took a quick sip before Mio instinctively smacked her on the head.

The bassist earned a groan from the girl before collecting her things and walking away.

Yui took her stand beside the newly injured Ritsu as Mugi set her lunch down. "Here, I'll talk to her." She offered quickly and did her best to chase after the girl.

* * *

"Mio-chan, wait!" Mugi couldn't run much longer so she called out for the girl to slow down.

Realizing that it wasn't Ritsu's voice, she slowed to a stop and tightened her grip on her bag. She turned around and walked back to Mugi who was trying to catch her breath.

The blonde heiress concentrated on her breathing pattern and stood upright, recollecting herself before her friend.

"Mugi...if...if I asked you to help me with something, would you?" Mio's stormy eyes met the pianist's.

"Well, it depends." She answered honestly.

"Because I...I need your help." Mio looked more serious than ever and Mugi had a hunch about what her request was. "I need you to help me find out what Ritsu's job is."

* * *

Later that night.

"You..." Ritsu steadied herself as a familiar girl sat in front of her. She had long, light brown hair and matching eyes.

"Hm," Her expression softened as Ritsu set down the contents onto the table. She couldn't help but smile at the drummer's attire, she certainly looked...different.

"What are you doing here?" Ritsu furrowed her brows together as her cheeks were stained with a light shade of red.

"Well there was this rumor going around school and I didn't believe it at first. So I had to come see it for myself." She tilted her head to the side revealing a pair of green earrings that she wore.

"..." Ritsu looked away. How did those rumors spread so fast? 'Damn!' Now it was only a matter of time before she would get caught.

The girl took Ritsu's hand as the drummer turned around from embarrassment. "Please, have a seat."

Ritsu obediently did so, but had a difficult time making eye contact with the girl.

"I must say, you do a great job making an entrance on the first day of school." She smiled, than stifled a laugh when Ritsu blushed even harder. "And your hair..." She leaned forward and parted the brunette's bangs, which instantly moved back into place. "I can hardly tell it was you on that bike."

"..." It was starting to get uncomfortable talking to the girl.

"I'm glad we go to the same University now." She retracted her hand from Ritsu's hair. "I get to see you girls again, especially Mio."

"Well, I wouldn't have gotten this far without your notes." Ritsu confessed modestly.

"Oh really?" Her eyes narrowed at the drummer.

"Yeah." She calmed herself down and managed a grin. "So thank you, Megumi."

The girl smiled back. "You're welcome Ritsu."

* * *

... To be continued

A/N: so I know that K ON has their new manga that involves their lives in college. However, only one chapter has been released in English. With that said, you can probably expect which additional characters I might throw in later into the story.

If you guys don't remember, Megumi Sokabe was the former president of Mio's fan club back in Sakuragaoka. She now attends the same University with the other HTT girls. Ritsu and her seem to be close since she helped her get into the school with a few notes.

So if you enjoyed this chapter, remember to fave, follow and/or review.

-Replies:

Darkmaster: yes, unfortunately. However, I always seem to be unpredictable with my updates, haha.

Yukina Tenma: As always, thanks for your reviews. It does a bit. Actually I'm not quite sure if this might be as dark as I had expected.

Haha, it's a good thing you're trying to guess. Delivery services sounds pretty cool, especially since I just recently watched Premium Rush. Ah, yes. I thought it best to incorporate as many characters as I can. I'm not sure about the pairings though.

reviewer: glad to get you thinking!

ItsKouhaii: haha, keep thinking!

Kuro-Nata: you're welcome! Thanks for the support.

Guest: will do!

YTomNinjaY: yes, I've noticed they're quite scarce on this site. Thanks for your reviews.

Ritsu T: you've got it!

Thanks for reading


	4. Chapter 4

- Disclaimer: K ON characters do not belong to me.

- Notice: Original characters may be added for suspense, a catalyst, etc. Lifestyles and settings may deviate from the original manga/anime.

- Warning: May contain suggested themes.

* * *

"So what did you have in mind?" Mugi asked as Mio as they sat in her living room. As usual, the two girls had already finished their assignments for the week. They thought it best to do something to occupy themselves.

"Well, lately Ritsu has been busy on the weekends, which can only mean one thing. She must be working." Mio set her cup of tea on the table.

"Yes, I've noticed that as well."

"I-I know it's not really my thing, to be nosy around her like this." Mio stared intently at the table's woodwork. "But I feel worried about her for some reason. What's so important that she has to keep it a secret from us?"

"You're right, Mio-chan." She rested the cup on her lap. "I don't think Ri-chan's ever kept anything away from us. She's usually very open with everything in her life."

"That's why I think we should do something about it."

Mugi felt the warmth in her cup slowly settle down.

"We should trail Ritsu today."

* * *

It was early in the morning when Ritsu went out to buy some groceries from the market. "It looks like I finally have a day off." She smiled as no messages appeared on her phone.

The brunette walked into an aisle, looking through several bags of rice. "Hmm...which should I get?" She set the bag on the floor contemplating on her options.

Disguised in very conservative clothing, Mio and Mugi stood a few meters away from the girl. It was pretty obvious they were spying on someone since some shoppers stopped in their tracks to watch them.

Mio adjusted her head as she peered at the brunette who had a bag in her hand. Mugi appeared from below the bassist as she examined their target closely.

"It doesn't look like she's doing anything suspicious." The blonde girl pointed out.

"Patience Mugi." Mio whispered. "I bet she's using that rice for something important."

"But what could you possibly do with it, besides cook it?" She looked a little lost.

"I'm not sure, but you never know."

Mugi nodded as they kept a close eye on Ritsu.

Just then, the brunette looked their way having heard several voices from their direction. She narrowed her eyesight on a shelf which remained vacant. Ritsu shrugged it off and picked up her bag before walking along.

"That was close." Mio looked at Mugi who managed a nervous smile. She admitted that this was a little fun.

* * *

The two girls hid by a nearby tree as they successfully followed Ritsu to her house. She didn't seem to do anything out of the ordinary. This couldn't be right, she must have done something that was out of the norm. However, her actions for the day seemed to be just that - normal.

Mio removed her ridiculous looking hat and scarf. It felt like a waste of time, they didn't uncover anything related to Ritsu's line of work.

Mugi released the black hoodie that covered her long, wavy blonde hair. She removed the over-sized sunglasses as she leaned against the wall.

"We trailed her all day and we didn't find anything important." Mio's voice sounded disappointed. She massaged the bridge of her nose. "I was so sure we would find something, anything."

Mugi dusted off her light blue dress and looked ahead of Ritsu's residence. With her eyesight she could make out someone standing by the brunette's door. "Wait." She placed her hand gently on Mio's shoulder and pointed at a certain direction.

Mio watched a girl with light brown hair enter as Ritsu opened the door for her with a grin. "Who is that?" She asked Mugi.

"I...can't tell." She furrowed her brows in frustration. They were too far for her to identify the girl's face.

Mio looked away, even that wouldn't suffice. She needed to know the girl's identity. It was their only lead, but how?

Mugi turned away and examined Mio's deeply concerned expression. Surely there was something she could do to help the girl. A sudden surge of confidence coursed through her veins as an idea popped up. "Mio, do you want to know who that girl was?"

"Yes..." She sighed in defeat. "But I-I don't know how."

Mugi formed a smile as she took Mio's hand quickly. "Then come with me."

* * *

"I wasn't expecting a visitor." Ritsu called out to the girl who removed her shoes at the doorway. She made her way into the kitchen to set up some snacks she had prepared earlier.

"Sorry it was on such a short notice. I was in the area and figured I should visit you." She took several steps onto the wooden floor. "I'm really sorry Ritsu."

"Oh, don't apologize." She dismissed the matter aside. It was nice to spend her day off with a friend. "To be honest I was feeling a bit lonely." She popped out from the door and motioned the girl to follow. "I didn't want to eat all this by myself." She grinned at the neat array of rice balls she had made.

"Wow, Ritsu." Megumi spoke in awe as the food itself looked very appetizing. "You made this all by yourself?"

"Yeah, I went out to get some rice earlier because I used them all on this. You know me, I can't live without it." She happily confessed. "Now try one." Ritsu took one in her hands and motioned it towards Megumi's face.

She blinked twice before taking a bite. It tasted different, as if there were a slight kick in it that made it better. Megumi knew Ritsu was a good cook, but this was certainly an upgrade from the food she had shared with her in Sakuragaoka.

"Is it good?" Ritsu leaned forward eagerly anticipating the verdict.

"Isshh..." She closed her mouth immediately. It was rude to speak with her mouth full. Megumi covered her mouth with her hand as she continued munching. She swallowed it after a minute and looked at Ritsu. "It's..."

"It's terrible isn't it." The drummer formed a frown.

"It's good Ritsu. It really is." She said with a smile.

"Really?" The drummer crossed her arms and looked at the 10 rice-balls on the plate. "Well that's good to hear."

Megumi sat closer to the brunette. "You know you should make me lunch sometime, just like back in high school."

Ritsu laughed. "I guess I should, I mean you did help me a lot getting into the University."

"Yes, think of it as repayment for that." She took the rice ball in her hand and offered it to the brunette. "I'm getting a bit tired of the same food in the cafeteria."

"It's not so bad..." Ritsu took a bite from the rice ball in Megumi's hand. Yeah, cafeteria food was pretty bad.

"Yeah, but it's gotten a bit bland. The food you cook are always the best." She took the last bite, finishing the rice ball.

"Yes, praise me!" Ritsu quickly stood from her seat, acting as charismatic as ever. She took her stand gloriously as her hands were propped onto her sides. Rice always had a weird effect on her. If sugar could get kids hyper, rice did the same for her.

Megumi instantly regretted her compliment. Ritsu could be so full of herself sometimes. Although, it was one of the many things she liked about her. Her energy and enthusiasm always brought out her playful side. She realized that she didn't have to act like an adult 24/7, especially around Ritsu. "You're so full of yourself!" She tackled the drummer to the ground.

"Hey, get off me!" Ritsu laughed back as Megumi crawled on her body. "You're going to get seaweed and rice on my clothes!" She tried to pry off the girl who clawed her way closer.

"So? It never bugged you before." She shifted her body to make eye contact with Ritsu.

"Touché" She chuckled happily.

"But seriously." Her eyes narrowed at the drummer lying below her. "I can't believe you're working...and at that place too."

"I can't believe it either..." She did her best not to blush.

Megumi slowly backed away from the girl as they sat on the floor. "How did you get that job anyways?" She raised an eyebrow.

"It's-" Just then, the doorbell rang interrupting Ritsu's words. "Now who could that be?" She stood from her seat and excused herself to check who it was. "I don't remember ordering pizza." She joked around.

Megumi stayed in her seat quietly before taking another delicious rice ball.

* * *

"M-Mugi we shouldn't be doing this." Mio tried to pull away the blonde girl who had her feet firmly planted on the ground.

"But you said you wanted to know. What better way than to hang out with Ritsu and see who it is." She rang the doorbell for the second time.

"B-But..." Mio tugged at Mugi's dress.

Ritsu opened the door to find the two girls standing on her porch. "Oh, hey guys." She formed a grin. "What's up?" Her hand rested on the door and her amber eyes glowed brightly. It seemed like their fellow band mate was in a good mood.

"We just wanted to hang out with you today. If it's okay that is." Mugi smiled genuinely at the brunette.

"Oh, then come in!" She took Mugi's hand and gestured her to come in. "Talk about perfect timing, I made some food too."

Mio followed after as Ritsu and her made eye contact. She leaned closer to the brunette forcing the latter to take a step back.

"Hey Mio." Her expression remained unfazed, a side effect of the rice.

Mio didn't bother to reply and quickly followed after Mugi into the house. She stopped in her tracks when she realized who the girl was. "M-Megumi?"

Megumi stopped chewing her food and swallowed the contents in her mouth. She wiped her mouth as quickly as she could to make herself presentable before the raven haired girl. "Mio?"

"Ah, looks like you've met already." Ritsu appeared from behind Mio and stood beside her.

"What are you...?" Mio started off, but her words faltered midway.

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood and decided to visit Ritsu." She stood up to greet the girl whom she had been so interested in since high school. "It's so nice to see you again."

"Y-Yes." She felt Megumi pull her into an embrace as Ritsu and Mugi watched them carefully.

"Ah, I have some things to discuss with Mugi." Ritsu managed a little white lie as her hand found the pianist's. "I'll leave you two here, don't worry if you finish the food." She waved off before pulling Mugi along. 'You can thank me later Megumi.'

Before Mugi could completely disappear from view, she winked at Mio. She would do her best to find some sort of evidence in the girl's room.

* * *

"So what did you want to tell me, Ritsu?" Mugi looked down to see her hand intertwined with the girl's.

"Oh, umm about that...I lied." She released her hand and scratched the back of her head. "Sorry." Ritsu paced along the carpet and traced her fingers along the desktop. "I just needed a lame excuse to trap Mio with Megumi. You see, I owe her a lot, so I just thought that would be a start."

"You...owe her?"

"Yeah, she helped me get into the school with you and Mio." She smiled at herself with her back turned against Mugi.

Mugi didn't realize that. It wasn't odd though, since Ritsu always had a great social life. She had a lot of connections.

"Oh, I didn't cheat if that's what you're thinking." She spun on her heel and took a stride towards Mugi. "She gave me some notes to help me study for the entrance exam."

"That's great." Mugi smiled.

"Yeah, so now you know. I'm not the genius you think I am." She leaned on her side.

"I think you're smart."

"You...do?"

"You shouldn't sell yourself short Ri-chan." She placed her hand on the brunette's shoulder. "You're smart and you know things I don't."

"Like?" She was starting to grow interested in their conversation.

"Like...how to have fun and what to do to kill time."

"You're right about that." Ritsu broke the serious tone with a playful grin.

The sun was setting from outside as it dyed the room in a hue of yellow and orange.

"Umm, Ri-chan. I know you haven't told us about the details, but..." She looked around the room which remained fairly neat. "What exactly is your line of work?"

Ritsu didn't look angry or irritated about the question. In fact, she looked more embarrassed than anything. "Uh..."

"Please, tell me." Mugi took a step forward. "What's so important about it that you have to keep it a secret?" Another second passed before she held Ritsu's warm hands.

"It's..." She didn't feel too happy keeping it a secret either. "I...I work as a..." Ritsu closed her eyes struggling to tell Mugi the truth. 'Gaahh! Why can't I say it?'

"Please just tell me." She crept closer, feeling the girl's warmth in her hands.

"I...I can't." Ritsu released her hands. "I'm sorry Mugi, I can't tell you."

The blonde heiress felt sad from her reply. "At least a hint?"

Ritsu shook her head, she couldn't do that either.

Mio knocked on the door before coming up with Megumi. She looked at Ritsu and their eyes connected for a long time before she walked up to the girl.

"Hey, stop looking at me like that." She said happily. "You're starting to freak me out." Ritsu said in a joking manner.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Her cheery mood took a dangerous drop.

"That you work as a waiter!" Mio raised her voice.

'A waiter?' Mugi renounced in her mind.

"What?" Ritsu looked past Mio and at Megumi. "Gee, thanks for selling me out."

"Don't blame her!" Mio's eyes were dangerously dark. She'd never seen her so angry before. "Why?" Her head dropped and her voice started to shake. "Why didn't you just tell me?Why did you have to keep it a secret from us?"

'Did she tell her everything?' Ritsu looked at Megumi who shook her head faintly. 'So she didn't.' She looked relieved and gave Mio a hug.

"You could be...such an idiot sometimes Ritsu. I was...I was worried." She broke into tears.

"About what?" She stroked the girl's raven hair slowly to calm her down.

"That you were doing something else. Something dangerous, something stupid." Mio tightened their embrace.

Mugi felt her heart flutter and skip a beat, it was so heartwarming to see the two together. Sometimes she wished that she had that intimate physical contact with someone.

Megumi couldn't help but tell the girl a portion of the truth. Besides, how could she possibly say 'no' to the girl he had started a fan club on?

"I couldn't tell you because I was...embarrassed." It was the truth, well, partially.

"Baka, what's so embarrassing about that? She pulled away and wiped her tears away.

"Nothing, I was just being stupid." She scratched the side of her cheek nervously.

As if on call, Mio's phone rang from her pocket. It had already grown dark as night approached. She looked at the caller id and noticed it was from her aunt and uncle. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." She ran out of the room to answer the call.

Mugi checked the time and realized it was getting late too. "Excuse me." She bowed and left the room quickly.

Alone in the room were Megumi and Ritsu. "I can't believe you told her!" She tried to keep her voice down.

"Hey, I didn' tell her everything did I?" She crossed her arms and examined Ritsu's room.

The drummer opened her mouth, but failed to produce a comeback. "Just next time, please don't tell anyone else about it." She seemed to have forgiven Megumi.

"Yes, I won't tell another soul." She walked to where Ritsu was standing. "But they're going to find out the truth sooner or later."

"Yeah..." Ritsu wasn't to happy to hear those words and she knew deep in her heart that Megumi was right.

* * *

... To be continued

So if you enjoyed this chapter, remember to fave, follow and/or review.

Thanks for reading


	5. Chapter 5

- Disclaimer: K ON characters do not belong to me.

- Notice: Original characters may be added for suspense, a catalyst, etc. Lifestyles and settings may deviate from the original manga/anime.

- Warning: May contain suggested themes.

* * *

It was late at night, a school day to be exact as Ritsu leaned against the wooden counter. She stood her ground watching her co-workers entertain their customers with an array of teas, deserts, and alcoholic beverages. She sometimes wondered how she even got herself into this line of work.

The tall blonde-haired man, whom she had always conversed with, Jin, set a cup of earl grey tea on the wooden counter. After calling her name several times and earning no response, he snapped his fingers in front of her face. It was enough to jolt her back to reality. "Ritsu, table five please."

She blinked twice before looking his way, then to the small cup which was an elegant shade of white.

"Daydreaming now, aren't we?" He took a wine glass from the stand, polishing it with a wash cloth. With his back turned against the girl, he continued. "Mind sharing?"

"It's nothing." She took the cup and walked away to the assigned table. Ritsu bent over to set it down gently as the customer, a strawberry blonde girl, eyed her closely. The brunette managed a friendly grin before dismissing herself. The girl blushed and took a quick sip from her tea once Ritsu had left back to the counter.

"And I'll never know how you managed to land this job." Jin propped himself onto the wooden mass, raising an eyebrow as Ritsu made her way back to him.

"Hey, you're the one who gave it to me in the first place..." Once she passed the customers, her grin dropped to a frown.

Jin broke into laughter as he placed a slice of strawberry cake on the counter. "Right, how could I forget." He slid the plate forward to Ritsu. "And I can't believe you actually took it." He smiled brightly as a woman took her seat by the bar. "Table two please."

"I can't believe it either." She stared intently at the slice of cake and placed it onto her platter.

* * *

"And that's how x is equal to y." Mio finished as Ritsu sat beside her.

The four girls decided to study for today, it was still early into the semester, but they thought it best to keep their grades up for as long as they could. Having created the light music club successfully, they managed to receive a room which held enough for their instruments along with a table and chairs to accommodate all members.

Ritsu lowered her head as she managed to retain a small portion of Mio's words. Her fingers twirled the pen in her right hand as she finished the remainder of her math problems. The shade of amber in her eyes looked darker than usual as eye bags started to form dark circles on her face.

"Hey, Ritsu, are you okay?" Mio dropped her pencil and nudged the brunette beside her.

"I'm fine." She waved lazily and closed her notebook. "Just a little tired." Even her voice sounded tired, exhausted from having worked long hours last night.

"It's not work is it?" Mio closed her book as well and turned to face her best friend. "You really shouldn't be pushing yourself too hard."

Mugi stopped to examine Ritsu. She looked deeply concerned for her welfare as well. Little did the drummer know that unlike Mio, she had heard the last words Megumi and her exchanged last week. Ritsu was still hiding something, but she couldn't figure out what it was. There was obviously more than being a waiter.

"I said I'm fine." Ritsu managed a weak grin, but suddenly felt lightheaded when she stood up. She steadied herself with a hand on the table.

"You're not Ritsu. You don't have to lie, we're your friends." Mio reminded her with a serious tone.

The three girls rose from their seats to support their leader.

"Captain, please take it easy." Yui stood by her right side.

"I'm fine, really you guys." Ritsu formed a smile as reassurance.

"Ritsu," Mio stood from across the brunette. "We all want you to rest for this week. Just take it easy and please don't go to work."

Mugi could tell that Ritsu was about to object before she was forced to agree. She needed to find out what secret she was hiding from them. "I'll take you home." She offered generously as Mio and Yui kept their eyes on her.

"Are you sure?" Mio asked.

"Yes, I'll take care of her bike as well." She made sure to have one of her people take care of the matter.

Ritsu looked at The blonde heiress, even she knew she wasn't well enough to drive home in her condition. "Thanks Mugi."

The sun was starting to set as the four girls looked out the window. "We'll finish up here for today." Mio collected her bag and items as the others followed. She decided to walk home with Yui as Mugi and Ritsu stood at the front of the school waiting for their ride. "Please take care Ritsu." She gave the girl a hug before parting ways.

* * *

The car ride home was quiet as Ritsu watched the clouds from beyond the window. Mugi moved closer to the brunette, whispering a few words. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Ritsu formed a grin and for a short while she looked like her usual self. She placed her hand on Mugi's, her hands were a little cold as it made contact with the pianist's. "Yeah"

"I can take care of you if you're not feeling well." She offered immediately.

Ritsu sighed and leaned closer. "I'm fine, trust me." Her amber eyes narrowed, showing a hint of uncertainty for a brief second.

The car stopped shortly as they arrived at Ritsu's house. "So this is me." She opened the door and took a step outside, when a familiar feeling suddenly hit her. She felt faint like before, but this time, her knees buckled and she face planted on the cold, paved cement.

"Ri-chan?!" Mugi rushed out her seat and called out to her chauffeur for assistance. "Ri-chan!" She bent down to find the girl laying unconscious on the ground.

* * *

- Several months before college -

Ritsu walked around the city, taking her sweet time window shopping since she didn't have any money to spend. With her hands in her pockets, she decided to take a quick stroll to get the feel of her surroundings. She figured it would be helpful to know where everything was for the future.

It was past midday when something caught her interest as she stood still for a few seconds marveling at a certain restaurant. It seemed to look out of place as its architecture was strikingly different. Standing at only one story, several steps led to the dark brown panel front door with fiberglass windows at its sides. Two lamp posts were hung symmetrically as they lit up simultaneously while magic hour had begun. The multi-pane windows were elegant as well, its cornice frames were polished nicely as if it had been a new building in the area. She peeked through the window, curious to see the customers in it.

"Interested?" Someone called from the alley as a tall, blonde haired man appeared in flattering attire. He wore a white dress shirt and black vest with matching pants. He almost seemed like one of Mugi's butlers.

"Nope, just looking." She took a step back as the man adjusted his tie.

"Hmm..." He stepped forward, examining Ritsu intensely. She didn't look fazed at all, it were as if she was used to being stared at. His eyes drifted to her yellow headband before quickly removing it with his hand.

"Hey, my headband!" She yelled out as he held it over his head. Without the aid of her accessory, her long bangs fell down, masking her wide forehead.

His eyes lit up as he watched the change in her look, simply by removing her headband she looked like a completely different person. "Interesting..." He mumbled to himself as Ritsu frowned.

"What was that for? I don't even know you and you just did that! Could I have my headband now?" She held out her hand to receive her most treasured accessory.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He apologized sincerely and gave back the item. "I just wanted to try that out."

"Man, you're weird." She placed it back on, looking like her usual self once more. "You know, you could've just asked."

"Ah..." He managed a nervous smile. "It's just that I was thinking, we're short on staff so I seem to be hiring at the moment."

"Uh..." She looked back at the restaurant, it wasn't really her scene.

"And you just happen to fit the bill." He leaned to the side with his arms crossed watching her reaction closely.

"I don't really think-"

"Don't worry about it, I'll make an exception this time." He managed to say as Ritsu started to blush.

"Like I said-"

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to decide today. Actually, I'll give you a week to think about it. When you've made your decision, come back and request for Jin."

"Huh?" Ritsu looked confused, their conversation was completely one sided. She couldn't even reply to him properly.

"Well, I have to go now so see you around..." He never really bothered to ask her name.

"Ritsu," she finally replied. "It's Ritsu."

"Okay," he smiled happily. "See you around Ritsu, I hope to have your answer by the end of the week." He waved goodbye before disappearing into the alleyway where he came from.

She watched him leave before walking along. "Yeah, right."

* * *

With the assistance from her driver, Mugi was able to place Ritsu into her bed. The brunette looked tired, worn out by who knows what. She sat by her side waiting for the girl to wake from her slumber. While asleep, she looked peaceful as her chest heaved up and down slowly. To be honest, this was the first time she had actually seen Ritsu up close sleeping soundly. Her hand moved up to feel the brunette's moderately short locks.

Ritsu felt a jolt in her body as she suddenly lurched forward, breathing heavily as if she had a nightmare.

"Ritsu!" Mugi sat on her bed, tackling her into a hug. She was about to break into tears when Ritsu rested her chin on her shoulder.

"What...what happened?" She still felt drowsy from the effects of fainting. Ritsu couldn't remember what happened after she set foot out of the car.

"You fainted." Mugi pulled away to check Ritsu's condition. She was looking a lot better now after getting the rest she needed.

She looked out the window to find that it was already dark out. "How long was I out?"

"A few hours."

"Oh," she lowered her head. "Sorry for causing you the trouble."

"It's no problem." Mugi sat beside the brunette who was covered with a blanket. It felt nice to be close to the girl, did this count as sharing intimate physical contact?

"Thanks, Mugi." Having recovered quickly, she started to rise from the bed. She adjusted herself to sit beside the girl. "I'll make it up to you. Let's see..." Ritsu placed her hands under her chin as she thought about what to do. "I'll treat you out to wherever you like, oh!" She faced Mugi with a playful grin. "I can show you around to the arcade here in the city. There's also a Dagashi store here too. We can hang out like how we did back in high school."

Mugi lit up with a cheery smile. "That sounds great Ritsu, but are you sure you're feeling better?"

"I told you I'm fine."

"Are you-"

"Shh..." She placed her index finger on Mugi's lips. "Just forget about it, I'm fine, really Mugi."

Mugi didn't know how to react. This was the first time someone silenced her this way. Before she knew it, her temples crinkled into a starburst of pink and red. She tried to redirect her attention to something else as her hand reached for her phone. "Then I should...call my parents now. They must be worried."

"Okay." Ritsu leaned back on the bed as Mugi left her room rather quickly.

* * *

After Mugi was picked up, Ritsu lay on her bed trying to recall several memories. Her eyelids dropped halfway as she turned to her side, taking in a deep breath before falling asleep.

* * *

"Ah, you came back." Jin formed a friendly smile as Ritsu walked into the restaurant, hiding her face with a hoodie to conceal her presence.

"..." Ritsu didn't look too happy about it.

"Take this ridiculous hoodie off." His hand hovered over her head, plucking it back to reveal her brown hair and yellow headband. "This too." Jin removed the accessory as well, allowing her bangs to drop the way they did during their first encounter. "There," he stood back, marveling at Ritsu's new look. "Much better."

"Hey!-" she protested immediately once her headband was gone.

He kept her away with one hand. "That's the deal, you have to take this ridiculous headband off if you'll be working here. Besides," he smiled wider than before. "You look much better this way."

"..." Ritsu puffed her cheeks with frustration, but she released it out in one breath.

"So, what made you come back?" He asked her curiously.

To be honest, she had been job hunting for a while now. As expected, she was hired immediately due to her social skills, but somewhere along the way she always messed up. She decided to quit before getting fired herself. This was her last resort.

He dropped the question once she didn't answer. "Anyways, I'm glad you came back." He looked around the room which looked a bit busy today. "Actually, if you're up to it, you can start work today. Don't worry, it'll be a breeze." He placed his hand on her shoulder for reassurance.

She looked up, not completely stoked about what she had agreed to.

"Give me a second." He held his finger as if to order her to stay before darting down the hall beyond a single door.

Ritsu could hear faint whispers beyond her back, she was sure the girls were talking about her. Besides, she didn't look like herself with her current hairstyle. If she were to turn around, they were sure to eye her like a delicious piece of candy. Never before did she feel so overwhelmingly nervous. 'I can't believe I'm actually going through with this.' Her eyes drifted to the restaurant's entrance. 'Last chance...'

Jin returned to find where Ritsu was staring. "Here." He held out a uniform similar to his and the other boys in the room. "Take it, it's yours now."

She looked back at the set, it was obviously to late to turn back now. Ritsu placed the white dress shirt in front of her chest. Surprisingly, it seemed to match her perfectly. A woman by the counter managed a playful smile at her as Ritsu turned around to hide her embarrassment.

Jin watched the interaction between his customer and Ritsu with a grin. 'Looks like I found the right person for the job.' He leaned forward extending his right hand for her to shake. "Congrats, you're one of us now." She hesitantly shook it as he continued. "You're now a butler at our cafe."

* * *

...To be continued

A/N: Well, this was not what I had expected it to be. Somewhere along the lines I thought about tieing this in with Vacation, since that's what I did with Classic and Midnight. I certainly made it a bit dark in the earlier chapters, but now I've shed the light on Ritsu's job. Who knows, maybe it might have an interesting twist somewhere along the story...

So if you enjoyed this chapter, remember to fave, follow and/or review.

-Replies:

Reviewer: those two were pretty good guesses! Haha

YTomNinjaY: you're certainly on to something!

Yukina-Tenma: combat butler sounds cool. I'm sure there must be more to Ritsu's job then what's been revealed in this chapter.

Unknown Reader: ah, yes. Ritsu seems to be quite mysterious in this story. Did you guess right?

Guest: revealed in this chapter!

Nix: revealed!

Thanks for reading


	6. Chapter 6

- Disclaimer: K ON characters do not belong to me.

- Notice: Original characters may be added for suspense, a catalyst, etc. Lifestyles and settings may deviate from the original manga/anime.

- Warning: May contain suggested themes.

* * *

It was early in the morning when Mugi sat in the dining table as she contemplated on what to do with Ritsu. Last night when the brunette was fast asleep, she had thought about raiding her room to look for any clues about her secrets. Although, she didn't feel to good about the idea and brushed it away quickly. To do such a thing would be rude and unlike her. Nonetheless, she figured there must be some sort of way for her to get Ritsu to spill the beans with out betraying her.

"Here's your tea Tsumugi-ojousama." A yellow blonde girl with the same sapphire blue eyes set down the cup of tea before her young master.

"Ah, thank you Sumire-chan." Mugi smiled at the younger girl. They practically looked like sisters by their appearances.

Sumire took a respectful bow before Mugi spoke up. "Could you keep me company for a little while?"

"O-Of course." She took the seat where the blonde heiress gestured, beside her, and looked at the girl with interest. "Is something on your mind Tsumugi-ojousama?"

Mugi enjoyed talking to her maid, Sumire Saito. They had a strong bond as the girl had worked under her family for quite a long time. After a quick sip of her tea, she set it down onto the plate thinking how she could address the problem. "I seem to be in a predicament." She started out.

"A predicament?"

"Yes. My friend, Ritsu, is keeping something from me and my friends. She's never done so before so I'm a bit concerned."

"..." Sumire waited patiently for her to continue.

"She told us a part of it, dealing with her job as a waiter, but I overheard something before I left. I know I shouldn't have listened, but I couldn't help it." She watched the steam from her tea rise slowly. "She's hiding something important, and I have this strange urge to solve it."

Sumire examined her master's expression. "I'm sure I would feel the same way too." She thought about the worst case scenarios , but stopped herself. "It's because you care about her. It can't be helped."

"I do. I do care about her a lot. We've been friends since high school, she's one of my closest friends." She remembered that Ritsu, Mio and Yui were her most treasured companions. "That's why I need to find out, what she's hiding."

"Hmm..." Sumire ran a hand through her yellow blonde hair. "Then you need to get close to her."

"Close to her?" Mugi looked slightly confused. "Aren't I already close to her?"

Sumire stifled an amused laugh. She remembered that Mugi did not know much about the world and certain interactions due to the fact she was home schooled. "I know you are, but you need to get closer to her." She took a breath. "Hanging out and studying together more often. Alone, just the two of you."

"Just the two of us?" Like that moment when they were discussing housing options. Or back in high school when they magically ran into each other and spent the whole day playing games and eating cheap candy.

"Yes." Sumire's expression softened with her blue eyes narrowing at Mugi, then her cup of tea. "Just the two of you."

Mugi watched the steam from her cup die down, a sign that it was growing cold.

"Sumire," someone called out from the kitchen. "I need your assistance."

Mugi looked at the younger girl and gave her a cheery smile. "Thank you, Sumire-chan." She looked back at a butler who watched the two of them by the dining table. "You should go to them."

"Yes, Tsumugi-ojousama." She stood from her seat when Mugi stopped her once more.

"You begin school tomorrow at Sakuragaoka right? Would you be so kind as to return the tea sets from the light music club room?"

It wasn't a question, but rather an order. Sumire nodded. "O-Of course, Tsumugi-ojousama." She bowed before leaving the girl with her advice.

"So I should get closer to her..." She brought the cup of tea to her lips, savoring the earl grey taste.

* * *

"Nnggg..." Ritsu groaned as she slammed her hand on the alarm. She hated waking up early in the morning, more so when she had work on the weekend. Did she have work today? As far as she remembered, she didn't. She was glad that none of her friends pestered her about the job, so long as she kept it low key she was fine. Although, Megumi was right, they'd find out the truth sooner or later.

"Ritsu dear," her aunt called from downstairs. "You have a visitor."

'A visitor?' She ran her hand along her face, then her hair which lacked the hair-tie for her pineapple ponytail. Come to think of it, she was getting used to her hairstyle this way, though it did bug her a lot. Her front bangs were so long, that it was getting harder to see things in front of her. It wouldn't take too long before she would look like a shaggy dog. "I'm coming!" She yelled out from her room, slipped out of her bedsheets and opened the door.

She descended the stairs, half asleep, half awake until she reached the loving room. A raven haired girl sat by the couch, patiently waiting for Ritsu to show up. "Mio?" She squinted to check if she was seeing right.

"Good morning Ritsu," she stood from her seat and walked over to the brunette. Unlike the drummer, she was all set to start the day in her yellow over-sized sweater and a pair of blue shorts.

"G'morning" she broke into a yawn as she scratched the back of her head and blinked drowsily. Yeah, she definitely hated mornings.

Her aunt gestured the two to the dining table, where she had prepared them some food to start the day. She had to leave immediately since she worked on the weekend. "I'll see you tonight Ritsu. Take care of the house okay?" She closed the door behind her as the two girls waved goodbye.

"So what brings you here anyways?" Ritsu poured some orange juice in her own glass to drink.

"Well, I was thinking that we haven't done anything to benefit the light music club." She studied her utensils in her hand. "So I was thinking we could work on lyrics or something."

"Lyrics, like for a new song?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Mio looked determined as she took a bit from her meal.

"Okay," Ritsu chewed the food in her mouth as her hand busily scrolled through her flip phone.

"Do you have work today?" Mio examined Ritsu closely.

"Huh?" She looked at the time on her phone. "I...don't know." She answered honestly. It was a call-in, she didn't know until they would request her.

"You never showed me the restaurant where you work." Mio blurted out.

"Oh, I...didn't?" She replied nervously.

"Yes, you never did." Mio swallowed the food in her mouth. "So when are you going to show me?"

"Umm..." Ritsu watched her best friend take a sip of milk. She was about to answer when Mio withdrew her lips from her glass. "Pffft..." The brunette tried to contain her laughter, but it was inevitable. "Hahaha" she slammed her hands on the table and leaned forward.

"What? What's so funny Ritsu?" Mio didn't know what her best friend was laughing at.

Ritsu pointed to the mirror behind her as Mio watched her reflection from a distance. She was wearing a milk mustache.

* * *

"Close to her..." Mugi announced to herself as she walked along Ritsu's neighborhood. It was completely quiet save for the sound of her footsteps and birds chirping. She turned around the corner as someone ran into her.

"Woah!" Ritsu fell on top of Mugi, trying to recollect herself as she rose on her feet.

"Ritsu!" Someone called out from a distance as Mio raced to the girl.

"Ah," She helped Mugi up and quickly took shelter behind the girl. "Save me, Mugi!"

"Save you?" Mugi looked ahead and found Mio out of breath, panting as she took several steps to close in on her prey.

"Good morning Mio-chan." She blinked with a smile, easing the tension between the two girls.

"Oh, good morning Mugi." She took her eyes off Ritsu and greeted her blonde haired friend. "Excuse me."

'I'm safe' Ritsu backed away when Mio quickly rushed to her, pulling her up from the ground with her hands at her collar. "Neh, Mio?!"

"Delete the picture, now." She ordered the girl who squirmed in her grasp.

"Ah..." Ritsu was trapped. She had not other option than to agree.

Mugi placed her hand onto her lips, this was the first time she had seen Mio this way.

"Okay, okay. I surrender!" It wasn't until after Mio gave her a cold, icy stare before releasing the girl. "Phew, I thought I was going to die." She dropped to her knees and looked up with a grin.

"Hand over the phone." She held out her hand, where Ritsu placed her device willingly. She scrolled through the pictures and deleted the one with her milk mustache.

"So anyways..." Ritsu stood up and placed her arm around the pianist. "What brings you out here, Mugi?" She leaned closer to her ear. "Did you decide to come visit me too?"

Actually, Ritsu was correct. She had hoped to spend the day with the girl alone, although it seems that Mio had already beat her to it. "Yes, I came to visit you."

Ritsu blushed as Mugi admitted it with ease. Both of her closest friends decided to visit her, she was certainly lucky today. It looked like it was going to be a fun weekend, a mischievous grin made its way on her face before she pulled Mugi's hand. "Then let's have some fun."

* * *

"This...is not fun." Ritsu spoke with no energy and leaned back, falling onto her mattress.

The three girls had been working on a new song as Mugi coincidentally brought a smaller keyboard to use. Mio jotted down a few lyrics as the other girl tried to find a suitable melody, experimenting with a variety of chords.

"You guys, can't we go out and do something fun?" Ritsu whined as she placed a pillow over her head.

Mugi stopped and watched the brunette on the bed. Just then, her phone rang with a familiar number. She picked it up to find Yui on the other end.

"Hi Mugi-chan!"

"Hello Yui-chan." She withdrew the device and set it to speaker.

"Yui, come hang out with us. It's so boooring here without you!" Ritsu announced from her bed.

"Ri-chan?" Yui called out. "Is that you?"

The brunette dropped from her bed and crawled to Mugi's phone. "Yeah, it's me. Come hang out with us. We're at my place."

"Awww!" She whined on the other end. Mio set down her paper and pencil to listen closely. "I can't, I'm out with Azu-nyan right now."

"Oh really? Bring her too!" Ritsu started to sound excited, she missed Azusa's presence just as much as the other girls.

"We can't Ritsu-senpai." Azusa spoke up from the other line. "We're not in the area."

"Huh?" Now Ritsu was cery disappointed, she had her hopes up and was pumped to see the girl that had now take her position as President of the club.

"I'll give you a rain check." Yui's voice cracked as the connection started to break. Where were they anyways?"

"Huh? Yui?" And then the line went out, with nothing but the irritating beeping noise that made Ritsu end the call.

With that, Ritsu returned to her bed, face planting onto it as Mio and Mugi continued on their new song. 'So much for having fun...'

* * *

Jin wasn't lying when he said she'd gotten more popular. She was requested nearly every night she worked. At first it was awkward, but after a month or two in the business she had grown used to it. Of course, she never did more than serve the customers with their orders and converse with them.

Sometimes the girls shared their problems with her and she listened attentively before giving her input. In some ways she seemed more like a love guru than some host. Tonight, Ritsu sat with three beautiful girls as she leaned back in her chair watching them sip their tea. It didn't seem to be busy as her co-workers tended to their customer's wishes.

She turned to find Jin attending to two women by the bar, alternating between conversing and flirting with them as they drank the red wine from their glasses.

Ritsu sighed as the girl on her right moved closer. "Hey, Ri-chan," the two other girls set their cups down. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Huh?" She sometimes forgot that none of her customers knew she was a girl. But it couldn't have been more obvious, especially with her high pitched voice. Were they really that dense? Her hand ran along her face as the girl crept closer.

"Hey, no fair! I was going to ask him that." The girl from Ritsu's left side spoke out in protest.

"Come now girls, we shouldn't be pestering him about his love life." The third girl spoke as she finished her cup of tea.

Ritsu felt relieved, even though this wasn't the first time it happened. 'At least one of them is sane...'

"So do you?" The girl who had once protected her attacked with her sister's question. Yes, the three girls were sisters and by some unfortunate chance, they all seemed to be interested in her. If only they knew the truth...

"I...don't." Ritsu managed to answer honestly. Of course she didn't, why would she have one anyways?

They all seemed relieved as their shoulders relaxed. Although, she wasn't safe just yet when the two girls on either of her side took both her arms. "Uh..."

"So since you don't have one. Could you be mine? You would be my first." The girl on her right seemed to be the youngest, with light brown hair tied into a pair of pigtails. She only seemed to be younger than Ritsu by two years.

"No, could you please be mine." The girl on her left had short brown hair, slightly darker than her younger sister's. If she guessed correctly they were about the same age.

"I'm sure he can choose who he wants. And we all know who it is." The oldest of the sister's managed a determined grin at Ritsu who couldn't find her amber eyes to meet any of the girls. There was no doubt that she was well 'endowed' compared to her younger sisters.

'This can't be happening...' She looked at Jin who was watching the whole thing from the corner of his eye. He suppressed a grin, which was obviously directed to Ritsu and her situation. 'Aww, crap. I'm on my own.'

She felt her heart race when the girl by her right side suggested something rather bold.

"Since he can't answer, why don't we have a game. Whoever can kiss him first gets to be his girlfriend."

"Fine with me." The girl on her left agreed followed by the other.

They all leaned forward puckering their lips at Ritsu's face. "No, wait girls..." What ever happened to her say?

"Ahem," Jin rang a little bell by the bar. "I'm sorry, but it's about time to close the shop." He announced.

'Saved by the bell...' The girls obediently released Ritsu's arms. She moved away to allow the girls to leave. They stood in front of Ritsu whose cheeks seemed to be permanently stained red for the night.

"You'll have to decide next time then." They announced before winking at Ritsu, leaving the restaurant.

Once all the customers exited the building, Ritsu marched off to Jin. "That was too close!" It wasn't exactly what she had signed up for.

"Ah, yes. Well that's bound to happen every once in a while..." He smirked it off and took a wash cloth to wipe the tables.

Ritsu turned around and untucked her shirt. She loosened her collar and removed her thin tie. There was no arguing that her uniform was suffocating at times, especially after moments like that.

"Here, I'll let you go earlier than usual. Just leave this to me." He felt pity for the girl, having agreed to such a silly job. Though, it was amusing to find her in situations like that.

Ritsu opened the door that led out to the hallway and alley. "Thanks." She waved her hand and left the restaurant. Once she got to her bike, she checked the time on her phone. 10 p.m. 'The night's still young.'

* * *

...To be continued

So if you enjoyed this chapter, remember to fave, follow and/or review.

Thanks for reading


	7. Chapter 7

- Disclaimer: K ON characters do not belong to me.

- Notice: Original characters may be added for suspense, a catalyst, etc. Lifestyles and settings may deviate from the original manga/anime.

- Warning: May contain suggested themes.

* * *

It was late at night when Mugi sat at her vanity. She brushed her blonde, wavy hair and looked at herself in the mirror. It was a shame that she couldn't get Ritsu to hang out with her alone. The brunette's schedule seemed busier than usual.

If she couldn't find the opportunity to hang out with her than she might as well plan something. She took the pink colored flip phone by her side and scrolled down to Ritsu's number. She preferred making calls then sending messages, so she did just that.

The phone rang, but no one picked up. Was she already asleep? Mugi studied the clock. It was only 10 p.m. She didn't know what time Ritsu went to bed or what she usually did at this time. "She must be asleep then." Mugi ended her call and walked over to her bed. "Whatever she's doing, I hope she's alright."

* * *

It was only 10 when she left the restaurant. 'The night's still young.' She managed a mischievous grin as an unknown number sent her a message. It took a second or two for her to comprehend its contents. She memorized the coordinates and slipped into her helmet. A grin formed along her lips as she turned the motorcycle's engine on and sped out of the alley.

* * *

"So how was your time with Azusa. Is she doing okay?" Mio set her bass on its stand as Yui did the same.

"She's doing great, they said they were able to recruit two new members." Yui walked back to the table accompanied by Mio. For once, they actually took the time to practice their new song. "Let's see what were their names again?" She pulled up a chair and sat on it. "Hmm..."

Ritsu leaned forward on her drum set as Mugi watched her intently. "Uh...are you okay Mugi?"

"Ah," Mugi realized that she had been looking at Ritsu for about a minute. "Yes, I'm fine." She formed a smile, the usual.

"Okay then, because for a second there I thought you weren't." Ritsu stood from her seat, drumsticks in her hands and walked to her bag on the floor.

"Actually, I have a request." Mugi moved away from her keyboard.

"A request?" With bent knees, she set her drumsticks inside and closed the bag's zipper.

"Yes, I request to hang out with you more often."

Ritsu formed a smile and stood in front of Mugi. "You don't have to be so polite about it..." She leaned to the side. "But okay, sure."

Mugi's sapphire eyes lit up with excitement. "You will?"

"Yeah, of course I will." She dusted off her jeans and continued. "I can't do week nights though."

"That's perfect." She clapped her hands together and walked to the table where Mio and Yui were conversing.

"Okay." Ritsu took her seat with a grin and hopped onto Mio's conversation.

"It's good to hear that she's doing well." Mio examined the table.

"Who? Their new club president? See I knew it! I told you she was going to be okay." Ritsu gave herself a mental pat on the back. "And it's all thanks to me."

"You?" Mio raised an eyebrow. "You never did anything besides lazing around."

"Ah, well...I did some important stuff, like...pick up the light music club. Yeah, if it wasn't for me there would be no light music club at all."

The brunette had a point. She had picked up the club without a second thought. Thanks to Mio, Mugi and Yui, it survived long enough for Azusa to continue as president.

"What are they called? Their new band?" Mugi asked curiously.

"I think they're called the Wakaba girls." Yui replied. She still couldn't remember the new members of the group.

"Wakaba girls?" Ritsu crossed her arms. "That sounds pretty cool, but I still think Ho-Kago Tea Time still sounds the best."

"And to be expected from our leader, your opinion is completely biased Ritsu." Mio leaned to glare at the girl who responded with nothing but a smile.

Mugi giggled to herself. It was really good to hear Azusa doing well. She hoped they could all meet up soon.

Suddenly, Yui stood from her seat earning a few surprised gasps from Mio and Mugi.

"What is it Yui?" Ritsu watched the girl point a finger into the air.

"I remember their names, Nao and Sumire."

Mugi produced a gentle smile. 'So Sumire is in the light music club.'

* * *

Another night at the restaurant...

Ritsu did her best to keep a straight face as the girl seated across from her had been staring for quite some time now.

"Pfft...hahaha!" The girl broke out into laughter as Ritsu looked away.

"Hey, c-can you keep it down, we're attracting attention..." She pulled her bangs forward as if to cover her eyes.

"...I'm sorry Ri-chan, but I just couldn't help it." The girl had black hair, wore an orange hoodie, and had a pair of over-sized glasses.

"Ah..." Ritsu leaned back on her seat. "It's just I didn't expect you of all people to be here, Maki."

"Well, I heard about this place from a friend and decided to check it out." She leaned forward as her black hair fell to her sides. "But Ritsu, why work here?"

"It was a last resort." Ritsu scratched the back of her head.

"What happened? All the other jobs didn't work out?"

Ritsu shook her head. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Do your friends know?"

"Nope. And I hope it stays that way." If they did find out, it would be social suicide.

"Not even Mio?"

"Not even Mio." She did plan on telling her once, but Ritsu just couldn't say it. It was too embarrassing, even to confide to her best friend.

"Oh..." Maki took a sip from her glass of water.

"So what brings you into the city?"

"We have this gig coming up." Maki reached into her bag and pulled out a flier. "You should watch us play this week, it's going to be great."

"Sounds good, but I have to check with my schedule first."

"Okay," Maki glanced at her cellphone. "Well, it's getting late, I should get going now."

"Yeah, okay." Ritsu stood from her seat and escorted Maki out to the exit. "It was great seeing you."

"Yeah, it was." She covered her hair with the orange hoodie. "See you this weekend then, hopefully? Oh and probably not in that. "Maki gestured to Ritsu's attire.

"Uh, yeah...definitely not wearing this." Ritsu formed a nervous grin.

"Okay, bye." She waved off the girl and continued down the street.

Ritsu walked back to the counter where she found Jin preparing a set for her to place.

* * *

"How should I do this?" Mugi sat in her room tapping her pencil onto a blank sheet of paper. For the past hour or so, she had been hard at work trying to come up with ways to hang out with Ritsu, alone. If she wanted to discover her darkest secrets, she'd have to get very close to her.

The clock struck nine when she jotted down a few ideas: movies, amusement park, studying together, shopping. But which one would be the best? Would it be better to be spontaneous, like their last encounter? Or should it be something planned?

She twirled her blonde locks in her fingers and examined her reflection in the mirror. She sighed and dropped the pencil. "I'll think about it tomorrow."

* * *

"Hey, you're old enough to drink, right?" Jin poured some red wine into a glass.

"Umm...no." Ritsu watched the red substance fill the wine glass midway.

She'd only tried it once, at a family wedding. It was alright.

"Really?" He handed it to the woman across the counter with a smile. "Well that's a shame." Jin examined Ritsu who was fixing her tie. He looked back at the tables where he found one of the girl's eying the brunette. "Looks like someone's got an eye on you."

Ritsu turned around to find a single girl in her seat with long, golden brown hair. She turned away when she realized the girl was pretty. "What do they even see in me?" She mumbled to herself.

Jin was able to hear her words clearly. "They just think you're cute. Is that so wrong?" He smirked playfully.

"Well..." Yes it was because she wasn't a boy like they thought she was. "Sorta?"

"Just take it as a compliment." He examined the women by the bar who were busily conversing with each other. "You've been working here for about two months now and you're still not used to it?"

"Well, yeah. It's still a little weird." She pulled the strands of her bangs lightly.

"Just keep up the good work. So go and use your charm on her." He winked at Ritsu and left to speak with the women.

Ritsu took a deep breath and turned around with a nervous grin. She steeled herself and approached the girl. "Hello" her voice was a bit shaky, but she clenched her hands into fists to calm her nerves.

"Hi" she set her cup down onto its plate.

"How's your tea?" Ritsu asked to break the ice. It was a natural part of her job to set the mood with every customer. Even though she was always a bit tense, she managed to calm herself within the first few minutes.

"It's good." She blushed lightly and leaned forward to examine Ritsu. "Actually, it's my first time here. I just heard about this place from a friend." She twirled a strand of hair into her index finger and kept eye contact with the brunette.

"Oh really?" She swallowed hard and noticed the girl's emerald green eyes. It was rare to see that natural shade in Japan. 'Maybe she's foreign...' Her eyes studied the rest of her attire as the girl wore a high school school uniform. 'And she's younger than me...'

"Yes." She blushed harder as she summed up her courage to continue. "They've said a lot of things about this place. Like the boys..." Her voice trailed off leaving Ritsu to assume the rest.

"Hehe" A faint laugh was all she could produce. "Ah, really?"

"Yes, I think they've mentioned one in particular. Ri...I can't really recall the right name." She looked upwards with a single finger placed along her lips.

"Ritsu? I'm the only host here whose name starts with an R."

"So it's you?!" She leaned closer thoroughly intrigued that she was talking to the host she had heard so much about. "Oh my gosh! It is you!"

"Yeah, that's me." She grinned proudly, discarding her nervous demeanor for a brief second.

"They weren't lying when they said you were cute." She was definitely flirting with Ritsu now.

"R-Really?" Her voice cracked midway as if she were still in puberty.

"Yes." The blonde hair batted her eyelashes as she pinched Ritsu's cheeks. "Very cute."

"..." Her heart started to race. 'Not again...'

The only thing that disrupted the two was the ringtone from her phone. She picked it up and excused herself.

Ritsu checked the time, only a few more minutes before closing time.

"Sorry Ritsu, I have to go now." It only took her minutes to stand beside her seated host.

"Okay..." Ritsu stood from her seat as the girl studied her once more. She escorted the girl to the exit as a host should do.

"So, here's just a little something to remember me by..." She planted a light kiss on Ritsu's cheek before stepping back.

"Uh..." That was a first.

"I'm sorry," she giggled and smiled at Ritsu's surprised reaction. "I just had too."

The brunette touched her cheek, she was sure she looked very red right now.

"Well then, I should get going now. Thanks for the company Ritsu." She tilted her head to the side and walked away.

'What was that for?' Ritsu closed the door and marched back only to find Jin with an amused expression.

"That's my Ri-chan!"

* * *

...To be continued

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